Over the past nine years, I have witnessed many examples of RFID vendors with clever and effective marketing tactics, as well as those that have really missed the mark when it comes to attracting attendees to their booths in a large exhibit hall.
I recall that one year, an exhibitor at RFID Journal LIVE! had a booth that was virtually empty, with the exception of the table and chairs we provided. It had no compelling messaging, product demonstrations or company literature to attract attendees. The one employee in the booth spent almost the entire event with his back to the aisle, chatting on his cell phone. And later, he complained to me that he didn’t meet any potential customers. No kidding.
Another year, a well-known RFID firm booked a booth right by the door of the exhibition hall, and packed it with salespeople—but they spent most of their time in the booth talking to each other. I know they didn’t get nearly as much out of the event as they should have.
With the economy being so tough, we’ve been working extra hard to try to help our exhibitors get the most out of our events. This benefits end users, too. They are, after all, there to meet exhibitors who can provide the RFID hardware, software and services that can address the issues with which they are grappling.
On Dec. 7, 2010, from 2:00 to 3:00 pm EST, we will host a free webinar entitled How to Increase Your ROI at RFID Journal LIVE! 2011—Steps to Success, Insider Tips and More. During this session, Sonja Valenta, RFID Journal‘s director of marketing, will present proven strategies that can help exhibitors connect with the attendees most likely to purchase their products and/or services, before, during and after the conference.
Sonja will explain the free marketing tools that RFID Journal has created for exhibitors, such as RFID Connect (our social-media and event-planning site), along with the marketing materials we create for exhibitors, including custom e-mails, banners and more. She’ll cover pre-event marketing, as well as what companies can do to attract people to their booths, and post-event activities. She’ll also announce a special contest in which exhibitors can win valuable marketing exposure, both during and after the event.
I encourage all companies that are exhibiting at the conference—or that are considering doing so—to listen in to this free seminar. I have no doubt that the tips Sonja will present will increase your ROI at LIVE! 2011.
Mark Roberti is the founder and editor of RFID Journal. If you would like to comment on this article, click on the link below. To read more of Mark’s opinions, visit the RFID Journal Blog or the Editor’s Note archive.